An insider's view of the Connecticut dining scene

Aug 29, 2014

11:20 AM

The Blue Oar in Haddam Is a Delicious Destination on Connecticut River

By Robert Rabine

Mara Lavitt/New Haven Register

Seared rare tuna with tomato, cucumber and onion salad.

The Blue Oar in Haddam is a lovely place. Casual, cool and convivial, it’s situated in a small marina on the banks of the Connecticut River.

It’s owned by Jody and Jim Reilly, who also own the highly regarded Simon’s Marketplace in downtown Chester — and that makes for long days during the summer months — 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. most days. Jim grew up in the business.

His grandparents opened a restaurant in Portland in the ’30s called JT Reilly’s. From there, it was all on-the-job training, working at various restaurants until they opened their own named Bacci, in Middletown.

When the owner of Midway Marina approached him to look at the location, Jim saw immediately it was a unique opportunity. That was 18 years ago, and Blue Oar has been going strong ever since.

Think part cafeteria, part restaurant, part house party and part treehouse. It’s first come, first served, and seating is exclusively outside, either at long picnic tables under giant maple trees or at a small number of multi-colored tables on a deck perched out over the river.

(Right, seared scallops with pineapple sauce.)

As you probably already guessed, The Blue Oar is closed on rainy days. A small white picket fence separates the gravel parking lot from the restaurant proper, and folks line up with their coolers (it’s BYOB) and wicker baskets laden with colorful tablecloths, candles and wine glasses, each table trying to “out-style” the next.

The tables are packed with lots of families: grandparents, parents and kids simply enjoying a night outside together. Corks pop and laughter abounds.

Young, super-friendly waitstaff, deliver food, bus tables, answer questions and rattle off a dozen or so nightly dessert selections at the drop of a hat.

The trees, railings and decks are strung with white Christmas lights giving the entire place a magical glow as the sun sets and darkness falls.